Australia remain confident captain Pat Cummins will be fit for the first Test of the Ashes in December despite a back injury ruling him out of their upcoming white-ball series with New Zealand and India.
Cricket Australia confirmed on Tuesday that Cummins would not be available for those series due to a back problem described as "lumbar bone stress".
Cummins has not played since the final Test of Australia's 3-0 series win over West Indies in July, missing the T20 series with the same opposition and the ODI and T20 series with South Africa.
A statement from Cricket Australia read: "Despite this planned [rest] period, Cummins has experienced some ongoing lower back pain following the West Indies Test tour.
"Further investigation has identified a level of lumbar bone stress that will require further management over the coming months."
"Cummins won't be considered for the upcoming limited-overs series against India (or New Zealand) and will continue his rehabilitation plan with a return to bowling to be determined as part of his Ashes preparation."
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Yet there is optimism that the setback to Cummins will not impact the right-arm fast bowler's participation in the Ashes.
Will Cummins be fit for the first Test?
The first Test of the Ashes begins on November 21 in Perth, and chairman of selectors George Bailey was upbeat about Cummins' hopes of being involved.
"There's plenty of time left - somewhere in the 80-day range," Bailey said.
"Even if match time is limited, we're confident in his experience and preparation.
"He's certainly one … that has entered summers at different stages without a great amount of match balls at different times.
"He's used one-day cricket to build up. Just given how far out we are, there's the potential for some [Sheffield] Shield cricket in the lead up. There's still options there.
"If it got to the stage where they were taken off the table, I still think that we'd be comfortable with Pat's experience and skill level.
"This probably slows him down from when he actually commences bowling again, but in terms of the gym work and getting on top of a lot of those other physical things that he likes to get on top of before big series, I'm pretty confident that'll work out."
Cummins has taken 309 Test wickets at an average of 22.10 in a superb career.
Australia will be hoping to retain the urn after drawing the previous Ashes series in England 2-2. England have not won a series in Australia since a 3-1 victory in 2010-11.
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